Thursday, August 30, 2012

A Challenge

Find me ONE four-year period in which revenues to the U.S. federal government rose in excess of 45%.

7 comments:

BB-Idaho said...

According to various
sources , the WWII years
showed marked revenue increases:
the four years 1940-44, for example showed revenues increasing from $8.7billion to $43.7billion
(4.6% GDP up to 20.9% GDP)
..well beyond 45%, if I calculate
right.

Jerry Critter said...

How about 20 years since 1900. Four year periods ending:
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1952
1953
1979
1980
1981

I imagine you picked 45% because that is the figure you used for 4 years after the Bush tax cuts. My source places his numbers somewhat lower, at 35% for the 4 years ending 2006 and 37% ending 2007.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

You got me, BB Idaho. That certainly was a spike well in excess of 45% (I guess that a war will do that to a country - employing all able male bodies in the army and spending like crazy).............Jerry, total direct revenue in 2003 was 1.78 trillion and 2.57 trillion in 2007. That's nearly an 800 billion dollar increase and the exact percentage is 44.38202%

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

What's the address to your source, Jerry? My computer isn't able to access that link.

Dervish Sanders said...

I wonder how much of the "increase" is borrowed money coming back to the treasury? An enormous amount of money was spent on bush's two wars, enriching the private contractors (which actually outnumbered the troops). These companies probably had to pay a lot more in taxes as a result.

And, it seems to me like Will is still arguing strongly that the bush tax cuts increased revenue... although I'm sure he'll deny it. I don't know how he can, but I'm sure he will.

Jerry Critter said...

Table 1.1 at the link below.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals/

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

I don't know if the Bush tax cuts caused the revenue increases any more than you know that they didn't. You pointed to the "fact" that Bush's tax cuts had a deleterious effect and I simply showed you that they couldn't have been too deleterious given that an 800 billion dollar surge in revenues ensued. Sorry for the nuance but sometimes it's necessary.......P.S. Do you "wonder" the same thing about LBJ's unnecessary war that ended up killing ten times as many American troops as Bush's/Obama's wars have? Or does your inquisitive nature only pertain to Republicans?